Panasonic has announced their latest 6.0 Megapixel SLR-like digital camera (23.01.06) named the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ7. The Lumix DMC FZ7 is an update of the existing DMC-FZ5 model with increased resolution, featuring 12x optical zoom (36=432mm equivalent) lens with image stabilisation and 2.5″ LCD Screen. The camera will be available in March 2006 for US$399

CamerasUK reviewed the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 (77/100) and wrote:“The outdoor portrait shot is another pleasing effort. There is a warm tone to the picture. This was helped by using the cloudy white balance setting on an overcast day. The camera also comes up trumps with the indoor portrait. Surprisingly there is a touch of red eye in the picture. I ran the test more than once and the result was the same in each shot. The reason this is surprising is that cameras with a pop up flash unit usually manage to avoid red eye in my tests….The Panasonic DMC FZ7 does not quite hit the mark for me. There are many good features and the camera is compact and relatively easy to use when you take into account the features it has. There were a couple of disappointing test shots in my set and this stops me from awarding the camera top marks.”

PhotographyReview reviewed the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 and wrote:“The FZ-7 is a strong contender in the current crop of super-zoom, SLR-like digital cameras. It’s recommended for anyone who wants a light-weight camera with great photographic usability, good image quality, and an SLR-like form with super-telephoto capabilities. Who Should Buy The Panasonic Lumix® DMC-FZ7 Digital Camera
Wildlife and sports enthusiasts will find the zoom range perfect for safaris and stadiums. Causal snapshooters and outdoor photographers will appreciate the FZ7′s responsive handling and natural color balance. Plus its minimal weight and relatively small size make it easy to carry. “

DPinterface reviewed the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 and wrote:“Overall performance for this ultra-zoom camera was very good save for startup time. The FZ7 also has a noticeable performance increase when using a high-speed card. It has a nice VGA and WVGA 30 FPS movie mode and unlimited continuous shooting at 2 FPS. Brisk AF time and a 3 FPS shooting option will surely impress some action shooters.Image quality was good with the exception of some fairly high noise and color fringing. I was a little disappointed as well with the inability to zoom while recording a movie. “

PhotographyBlog reviewed the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 and wrote:“There aren’t too many weak-points in terms of the DMC-FZ7′s design and build-quality – for once the battery compartment and SD card slot are both very well implemented, and even the tripod mount is metal and located in the middle of the camera body. The only aspects of the design that slightly disappoint are the mode dial, which doesn’t have a very positive click action and is easily moved to the wrong setting when stored in a bag, and the cover for the AV Out / DC In compartment, which on my review sample didn’t quite close properly. In all other respects the DMC-F7 is one of the better-made cameras that I’ve reviewed.”

DigitalTrends reviewed the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 and wrote:“One of the best features of this mega zoom edition is Mega O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization). In fact it’s found on all new Panasonic digicams. The system uses a physical system to adjust for camera movement instead of electronic circuitry, eliminating any potential picture degradation. There are three settings available: off, mode 1 and mode 2. In mode 1 the stabilizer is constantly engaged. With mode 2, O.I.S. kicks in when you depress the shutter. Both work well. In the red Heart setting, the camera is in mode 1, basically eliminating the off chance a tyro might turn the O.I.S. off.”

Photoxels reviewed the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 and wrote:“We find the overall image quality of the Panasonic FZ7 to be very good to excellent with lots of detail. Noise is very low at ISO 80 though chrominance noise may be slightly visible in the shadows when viewing the images at full size on screen… The camera rests naturally in the palm of your left hand, with the fingers of that hand wrapped securely around the lens barrel which juts out from the body at about 4 cm (1.5 in.). Your left hand will be the main support for the camera.”

LetsGoDigital reviewed the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 and wrote:“We can conclude that the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ7 is a powerful combination; guarantees high quality images and suits a large group of users. Despite its user-friendliness and low entry-level, the camera will certainly not limit or confine those who wish to expand their basic knowledge of photography, and are keen to experiment a little more. The Panasonic Lumix FZ7 is also an excellent step towards a possible future digital SLR camera… We truly recommend the Panasonic Lumiz Fz7.”

ImagingResource reviewed the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 and wrote:“The Lumix DMC-FZ7′s images are pretty crisp overall, thanks to in-camera sharpening that’s just about right. (Edge enhancement creates the illusion of sharpness by enhancing colors and tones right at the edge of a rapid transition in color or tone.) High contrast subjects like the tree b ranches above show heightened contrast around the edges of details, but the effect isn’t overpowering. There’s even some edge enhancement in the highlighted strands of hair in the shot above right.Noise-suppression systems in digital cameras tend to flatten-out detail in areas of subtle contrast. The effects can often be seen in shots of human hair, where the individual strands are lost and an almost “watercolor” look appears. The crop above right shows this in the darkest areas, which show limited detail. (The FZ7 appears to be about average in this regard.)”

About.com reviewed the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 and wrote:“I am used to the fast response times of digital SLR cameras, and was pleasantly surprised by the Panasonic DMC-FZ7. Focusing was instantaneous except in the most challenging low-light conditions. There is little delay between the time you press the shutter and when the camera takes the shot, great news for action photographers.
The Panasonic DMC-LZ7 is a great choice for the indecisive: no matter what the subject of your photo, the LZ7 has a setting that will help you get the shot. It’s a great camera for people with kids, since the fast response time means that you don’t miss fleeting moments. It’s easy to carry around everywhere you go, and yet still comfortable enough to use for an entire day of photography.”

Digitalcamerareview reviewed the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 and wrote:“The FZ7′s image quality is very good, but image noise is slightly above average. Minor noise is visible in shadow areas even at the Auto ISO setting. Noise is well controlled at ISO 80 and 100 (there’s no discernible difference between the ISO 80 and ISO 100 settings), but slightly off putting at ISO 200. Noise is unacceptably high at ISO 400. Chroma noise (blotching) is visible in high contrast areas. Images are consistently sharp and contrasty with very good color and decent shadow/highlight detail.”

Digicamreview reviewed the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 and wrote:“Image quality is very good, the images have very good colour, with good contrast and excellent detail, although with high noise eespecially in dark areas in at higher ISOs. Images are quite sharp straight from the camera – sharpness can be altered in camera. Purple fringing was slightly higher than averager, although nothing too serious. The camera did a good job focusing even in low light thanks to the flash assist. I did not notice vignetting in photos, nor did I notice barrel or pincushion distortion. There is a very good range of image sizes, including 16:9 / 3:2 aspect ratios, and a good choice of compression options (including TIFF). Auto white balance and metering seemed to be good. The camera gives very good control over image quality – allowing you to change the saturation, contrast sharpness, and amount of noise reduction. (8/10) “

Steve’sDigicams reviewed the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 and wrote:“Image quality was very good for a 6-megapixel consumer model. Outdoors it captures beautiful images that are sharp, show good overall exposure and pleasing color saturation. Noise levels are below normal at lower ISO speeds, becoming more noticeable as the ISO is raised above 100. When you zoom in to 100% on a SO 200 or 400 image, yes you can see plenty of imager noise. However, even our ISO 400 available light M&M man sample looks good when viewing at the normal viewing range of approx. 30% (my 19″ LCD monitor is set at 1024×768), in fact I was able to create a very nice 8×10-inch uncropped print. Which only the professionally trained eye would immediately be able to pick up on the image noise and I feel that the usefulness of the higher ISO overpowers its negative effects. “

Imaging Resource reviewed the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 and wrote:“Pros: Joystick in combination with four-way controller, Great image stabilization, Good manual controls, White balance fine adjustment, Manual focus is better than old system
Cons: Image noise high, Inaccurate color reproduction, LCD and viewfinder resolution are low, Viewfinder is tiny, hard to see, ISO 800 and 1600 poor quality, available only in High Sensitivity scene mode, Fit and finish is rough”

Panasonic introduces the latest addition to its celebrated Lumix digital camera line with the new, six-megapixel DMC-FZ7. This compact camera features a Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens system, powerful 12x optical zoom (equivalent to 36mm to 432mm on a 35mm film camera lens) with aperture of F2.8 to 3.3, and Panasonic’s MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer.

[...] Saturday we went and got ourselves into a little more debt, because its such an easy thing to do and we bought a video camera so we can capture all the important Harry moments as he grows. This is the camera we got (couldn’t find a better site) and while we were at it spending money we bought me a new still digital camera, it is awesome and i *love* it, have been taking endless photos of H, cos lets face it you can never have enough photos of the exact same thing can you lol [...]

I bought this camera cheaper as is an “old” model. Even if it’s two-year-old model, there are no major differences between FZ7 and FZ8. I mean the image sensor is the same so FZ8 must have a better video engine to raise the number of pixels.
The use of FZ7 is a breeze, very light camera, shot by shot is about 1 photo/sec that is more than enough for any family that has kids for example.
The movie mode in 16×9 is just brilliant, much better than the VGA resolution most of cameras offers today. One 2GB card will allow you to record a 20 min movie.
I also have a Kodak P880 and I can tell that FZ7 is much better.
The only problem I noticed are the indoor photos without flash where the noise becomes a problem and you need to choose the right set-up.
The optical stabilisation is very, no blur image anymore and also the battery last for a long time.